Want to Learn Graphic Design? 9 Tips & Tricks for Beginners We see graphic design at work every day. Everything from logos, posters, magazines, product packaging, ads, and more. It’s an industry that’s always in demand. Why? Because brands always need designers, whether it’s to create branding assets or design an upcoming event flyer. If it’s an industry you’re interested in, discover the steps you can take today to learn graphic design and find out what you need to keep in mind as you start your career. 1. Learn key design principles. Graphic design is a visual communication tool that combines the use of graphics, typography, color, and illustration to communicate a message. And while there are endless ways to communicate a message (that’s where the creative part comes into play), there are key principles that every graphic designer must follow: Hierarchy Alignment Contrast Space Color Proximity Repetition Balance These fundamental concepts ensure that a design is cohesive, impactful, and clear. In addition to these principles, there are other elements that come into play, such as typography and color theory. The former relates to the way in which your copy (i.e. text) is arranged while the former refers to how people perceive color and how it impacts messaging. Once you understand these concepts, you can then dive a little deeper. More on that in the next section. 2. Find a course. Contrary to popular belief, having an eye...

Color Theory 101: A Complete Guide to Color Wheels & Color Schemes When you're sifting through your News Feed, what tends to catch your attention? More likely than not, it's YouTube videos, pictures, animated GIFs, and other visual content, right? While text-based content is always important when seeking answers to a question, creating visuals such as infographics, charts, graphs, animated GIFs, and other shareable images can do wonders for catching your readers' attention and enhancing your article or report. I know what you might be thinking: "I don't know how to design awesome visuals. I'm not creative." Hi. I'm Bethany, and I will be the first to tell you that I'm not naturally artistic. And yet, I found a strength in data visualization at HubSpot, where I've spent most of my days creating infographics and other visuals for blog posts. So, while I wouldn't say I'm naturally artistic, I have learned how to create compelling visual content. So can you. And you can do this by learning color theory. Consider this your introductory course, and we'll be covering the following topics: What Is Color Theory? Why Is Color Theory Important in Web Design? Color Theory 101 Additive & Subtractive Color Theory The Meaning of Color The Seven Color Schemes How to Choose a Color Scheme Color Tools What is color theory? Color theory is the basis for the primary rules and guidelines that surround color and its...

Everything You Need to Know About the Principles and Types of Design  Furniture. Clothing. Software. Posters. Maps. Experience. Buildings. Websites. These are all things that can be designed. Heck, design has so many different meanings and application you wonder if the term can be defined at all. Answer: It can. Design has a variety of definitions, but in its simplest form, it can be defined as both a verb and a noun: It can refer to the act of creating a composition or or to the composition itself. Design is about creating feasible, functional solutions to a variety of problems, and always happens with a particular goal in mind. — Amanda Chong, HubSpot designer As ambiguous as it seems, design can be defined … particularly when it comes to how it applies to marketing. That’s why we compiled this guide — to help you better understand design and it’s principles and types. Bookmark this guide for future reference, and use the chapter links to jump ahead to any section that interests you. Design has many different connotations depending on its application. It’s is an incredibly fluid industry. In short, design can be whatever you want it to be — as long as you don’t forget some of its predefined tenets. These are known as the principles of design. There are many additional terms related to these principles: movement rhythm, symmetry, and white space. These design concepts fall under and/or are based on the above tenets...

The 'Ethics' You Didn't Know Existed in Design Just the other day, I was Googling something in a rush and came across a blog post that I thought would give me all the information I needed. But, when I clicked on the page and tried to start reading the post, the entire screen went dark and a giant "Subscribe to our email" CTA popped up -- completely interrupting my experience. I looked around for a "No thanks" button or an "X", but I almost couldn't find one. Just before I went to click the back arrow, I noticed a very faint, tiny "X" that was nearly the same color as the CTA background. It was obvious that this site's designers wanted to trick visitors into signing up for an email list before reading their content. Not only did this CTA almost backfire by causing me to bounce off the site, but it also made me judge the brand's morals. Although some business people might not think a code of ethics matters in design, it does. In this post, I'll explain what design ethics is, what guidelines ethical designers might use, and a few tips for avoiding questionable design ethics. Why are ethics in design important? One of the best places to highlight your brand's mission, as well as its ethical values, is in your marketing and designs. After all, these are the areas of your company that prospects and customers might see most. While ethics, inclusivity, and...

27 Striking Examples of Minimal Design That'll Kickstart Your Creative Process If you've been on the internet, chances are you've come across stark, simple websites or ad creative. In fact, this design sensibility — known as minimalist design — has been rising in popularity, though it's far from a passing trend. What is minimalist design? Minimalism is a design aesthetic that embodies the phrase "less is more." With minimalist design, you push an idea by stripping it down to essential (sometimes bare) elements, using clean, modern, and minimal aesthetic, font, and color choices. Whether you're curating an Instagram feed or designing a web page, there are plenty of advantages to minimalist design. Minimalist Graphic Design Rather than bogging your audience down with vibrant patterns or paragraphs of text, a minimalist approach allows you to focus on a few key components of your brand you feel are truly important. However, minimalist isn't as simple as white space. To avoid creating boring or uninspiring designs in your attempt to become minimalist, it's critical you take a look at some successful examples of minimal design, ranging from posters to logos, to kickstart your creative process. 1. Braga Da Cruz These Braga Da Cruz jewelry store business cards, designed by Luke Halota, are a good example of how minimalism can help brand name stand out on the page. Halota uses grids to center the company name on one side, with a small, unobtrusive logo placed above. On the back, he makes...